Were Your Charged With Driving With a Suspended License in Florida?
It is something almost every driver has experienced: You are going on about your day, when suddenly there are blue and red lights and sirens coming flying up behind you. You are getting pulled over. Any traffic stop can ruin a driver’s day. No matter how minor the infraction, getting pulled over is intimidating and dealing with a ticket is frustrating (and sometimes expensive).
Things are much worse for drivers who do not have a license. If you are driving with a suspended, revoked, or cancelled Florida license, you may be facing serious trouble. Here, at The Pawlowski//Mastrilli Law Group, our experienced Tampa license suspension lawyers discuss what you need to know to protect your legal rights.
You May Face Harsh Penalties
The legal penalties for driving with a suspended, revoked, cancelled, or disqualified license can be found under Section 322.34 of the Florida State Statutes. To be clear, the penalties available to law enforcement officers and prosecutors under this statute can be quite severe. Specifically, these penalties include:
- An extended license suspension period;
- Total revocation of your driving privileges;
- Large fines, up to $500 for a first offense and $5000 for later offenses; and,
- Jail time, up to 60 days for a first offense and as much as five years for later offenses.
How Our Attorneys Can Help
Legal Defenses
In some cases, the charges that brought against you may be unjustified or illegitimate. After reviewing your case in detail, your attorney may recommend that you fight those charges head-on. There are some common defenses that can be used in these cases, including:
- Disputing the fact that you were ever driving at all. This might be a useful defense if you were charged while sitting behind the wheel, but were not actually on the road.
- Disputing that your license is actually suspended. In some cases, Florida state records have not been updated or are simply wrong. Your license might not actually be suspended.
- Proving that you had good cause to believe that your license was not actually suspended. You may not have to prove that your license was in good standing. If you can prove that you have a good reason to believe that it was, then you may not be charged.
- Establishing that the stop was illegal. If an officer found that you were driving with a suspended license only because they stopped you illegally, then the charges may have to be dismissed.
Reductions in Punishment
Of course, directly challenging a license suspension charge is not always the best available option. In many cases, your attorney will be able to best help you focus on reducing the charges against you or reducing the penalties that you are facing. As a result, your attorney may be able to keep you out of jail and may be able to help you get your driving privileges back – even sooner than might have happened otherwise.
Get Legal Help Now
At The Pawlowski//Mastrilli Law Group, our attorneys have extensive experience handling cases involving suspended, revoked, and cancelled license cases. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact us today to set up your free initial consultation. From our office in Tampa Bay, we represent clients throughout the region, including: Gibsonton, Valrico, Sydney, and Apollo Beach.
Resource:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0322/Sections/0322.34.html
